Finding A Home Away From Home
At 13 years old, Genesis found herself at Teen Haven, tagging along with her older siblings. The people were friendly and inviting, but still, she says, “I didn’t want anything to do with Teen Haven.” Back then, Genesis was going through a transition in her life. While she was raised with a strong belief in […]
What Are Safe People?
When Deanna came back to Water Street, she sat back, watching everyone around her distrustfully. It was a massive step of faith to return to Water Street, knowing she had been a guest here before. Until then, life had taught her that maybe it’s better not to put your trust in people or even make […]
A Lifelong Learner
As Tamekia settles into her next art project, the words “Spread Your Wings and Fly” read across the page of her coloring book. She quickly chooses her colors and gets smoothly into the groove as she begins talking about her experiences at Water Street. These days, it’s becoming easier to keep positivity in her life. […]
A Gift From Sterling
It’s hard to imagine now, but Sterling came to Water Street shy and reserved. Due to his health, he was unable to work, but his friends wanted to make sure he was safe and brought him for an intake with Tjwana Reed, our Director of Access and Case Management. “I could tell he was so […]
From Fearful To Fulfilled
With a squirmy 10 month old in her arms, Beth came to the Access Center for the first time. The idea of spending the night in a shelter scared her, but when her Case Manager offered to carry her belongings to her room, she began to realize she would be ok. On the outside, Beth […]
From Crowd Follower to Water Street Leader
There was a time when Steve’s mom stayed up late each night, pacing in her bedroom and praying “Lord, please don’t take my son.” Little did she know all God was about to do in his life. His trials began when, as Steve puts it, he made bad choices to go into the streets of […]
A Couple’s Restoration
“I saw him walk across the parking lot…and I said, ‘that’s my husband’.” Yvonne had just entered Water Street’s program when Burlin crossed her path. She was sitting with a group of other women, all shaking their heads in disbelief. As it would turn out, Yvonne knew something they didn’t. Yvonne began her journey here […]
Working With a New Purpose
At a young age, Randy was introduced to alcohol by his youth pastor. Even though he hated seeing what drinking did to his father, he would wind up following the same path, spending years battling addiction. In a strange twist of events, Randy married his youth pastor’s ex-wife, right out of high school. Taking in […]
Seeing Miracles at Water Street
If there’s one thing Levon’s learned, it’s that not everyone is homeless for the same reason. “When you see someone who’s homeless, don’t just assume that it’s because they did something.” he says. “Take the time to talk to them.” If you talked to Levon and heard more of his story, you’d find out he […]
A Priceless Gift
It was Christmas time, over a decade ago, when Luz and her family found themselves without a home. She and her twin sister were 15 years old. Her father was fighting to keep food on the table, as he was out of work and finding himself at the end of his means. He wanted to […]